"Clap - if you believe in Fairies"

In the final scene from the musical version of Peter Pan, Tinkerbell is in danger of dying. So the audience - usually kids who are in tears at this stage, are asked to: "Clap - if you believe in fairies".
Of course they do clap and Tink is rescued from the brink of oblivion.

There are so many parallels with the present situation in Australia.

Firstly, there is Howard as "Tinkerbell". With polls plummeting ever lower, his ability to keep flapping his gossamer wings is doubtful. He looks likely to expire at any moment.

Then there is the APEC charade: $350 million to produce what, exactly.....?

"I don't want to overstate it, but it is a big step forward to get China, Russia and the United States, the major polluters to agree on the need for an aspirational goal (to cut emissions by 2050)." Source: Fairfax Digital

Its like half the leaders of the world all hold hands, close their eyes, and say: "Yes, I believe in fairies too" - maybe something wonderful will happen and the world will survive without Global Warming. OK, can we go home now???"

The Americans don't believe in global warming, and carbon emission limits. They refuse to sign up for the Kyoto Protocol. India and China didn't sign up. Australia didn't sign up.
But its all right folks, we have a self imposed "Aspirational Goal" --- to do "something".

That's right boys. Hold hands, "Clap - if you believe in fairies"

Tinkerbell is still waving her little flimsy wings just a bit. Maybe Howard can survive the week. Maybe.

There, that was worth $350 million, wasn't it?
Sydney's reputation as a tourist magnet is in tatters.

Late news has it that Turnbull and Downer have decided that Howard has to go, (according to an ABC interview a few minutes ago, with a Sky News representative - David Speers). ABC 702 radio - 9:40am.
Read the story here.

What cost to the nation, to stoke the ego of a fading politician?
I don't think it was worth it, do you?
But then, to be honest, I never did.

I'm too angry for this Blog

Tonight's posting might be the last until after Next Weekend when the men in silly shirts have gone home. Here's how I have sought to explain the preparations to a good Canadian friend of mine. And I am so angry about the extraordinary waste of money, and the potential civil disturbance which is about to be inflicted on Sydney and the political disaster which the Forces of Darkness are hoping will be unleashed on Australia. Forget the silly spellings, just read it all phonetically.

You might have seen mention that Da Shr*ub and his mates are coming to Sydney for AP*eC - one of those stupid "lets all wear silly shirts and hats" meetings - in Sydney this week.

You Cannuckistanis might not be invited, not sure (bits of your country are on the Pacific Rim, so your guy ought qualify as much as Da Shrub). Anyway, the Fe**deral Go*v*ernment is going hysterical. They are a conservative (right wing) client state Government, in bed with Da Shrub - even more than your people. Stupid thing is the State (i.e., Provincial) Government is Labor (supposedly left wing, and supposedly opposed to the Federal Govt), but they are the creatures of their own State Police Force, which has seized the opportunity to buy all this "terrific anti-t*rr*rist gear", such as a $600,000 water ca**nnon (which arms salesman saw these guys coming first?) and the harbour is full of guys on jet-skis, and Rub*ber Du**ckies, scooting around looking for b*mbs under the Opera House, and the Harbour Bridge, etc. Jet planes are zooming around overhead, and half of the city has been divided by a huge metal fence (including the main harbour ferry terminal (Circular Quay) through which multi-000s of commuters travel every day).

It is a shambles, and worse is about to occur. The State Police are effectively taunting pro**testors saying we are ready for you, your nasty aggressive, violent demo**nstrators. But nobody has done anything (yet). The psychology of this is just terrible. The Bov-ver-Boys (in uniforms) are just itching for a fight. And with a conservative Government looking likely to lose the forthcoming election (due some time in the next 2 months) there is nothing the conservative press and conservative Govr't would love more than provoking "civil unrest". And the stupid lefties look like they're going to provide the camera footage the forces of darkness want (to use against them), in order to scare the population at large.

It is a self-fulfilling prophecy of disaster.

I hope to chrissake it does not eventuate, for that outcome looks like the only thing which could save Howard from electoral disaster, if he and Georg eW become the "victims" of "nasty com**mie lefty thugs", requiring the water-cannonistas to sweep the streets clean.

Buses have already been converted to mobile prisons, with shatter-proof glass, and steel cages inside. Extraordinary. The country's forces of darkness are itching for a civ**il whore! And we have spent an absolute fortune on all this equipment, which is just aching to be used, to justify its expenditure.

I hate everything about this sh**t.

Beam me up, Scotty. This planet is not worth wasting time on.

NOW HERE'S A GOOD IDEA.!!!

LET'S RELEASE ALL THE KNOWN BADDIES OUT OF PRISON WHEN THE AP*ECKERS COME TO TOWN.

THIS SHOULD GUARANTEE SOME BAD-ARSE BA*ST*RDS ARE ON THE STREETS FOR THE PO*LIS TO ARREST, OR HARASS; OR AT LEAST GIVE THEM SOME HEADS TO BASH IN, OR AT LEAST SQUIRT INTO THE GUTTERS (WHERE THEY OBVIOUSLY BELONG) WITH THEIR NEW WATER CANON.

ACTUALLY, IT IS NOT QUITE AS BAD AS THAT, BUT IT MIGHT AS WELL BE. THE NSW GOVERNMENT HAS ANNOUNCED THAT THE WEEKEND DETENTION PEOPLE DO NOT NEED TO TURN UP THE WEEKEND WHEN THE AP*ECKERS COME TO TOWN. THIS IS TO MAKE ROOM FOR ALL THE PEOPLE THEY INTEND TO ARREST - BUT REMEMBER - THEY DO NOT INTEND TO ARREST PEOPLE ULESS THEY NEED ARRESTING!!!

The ABC News site tells us this:

Two-hundred prisoners will be allowed to sleep in their own beds over the APEC long weekend of September 7-9 to free up jail cells in preparation for the mass arrest of protesters.

Federal and state police have asked the New South Wales Government to make space for up to 500 who might be arrested during the summit in Sydney.

Protesters arrested during APEC will be denied the presumption of bail.

Parramatta jail and a refurbished section of Long Bay jail will be set aside for the plan.

******

REMEMBER - I DID NOT MAKE UP THIS SH*IT. THIS IS THE IDEA OF THE FE*DERAL AND STA*TE PO*LICE - ACCORDING TO THE ABC NEWS SERVICE.

*******
FOR THE RECORD, I ADVISE ANYBODY WHO HAS ANY POL*ITICAL "VIEWS" ON THE "WA*R ON TE*RROR", OR WHO HAS ANY STRONG VIEWS ON OTHER ECONOMIC OR SOCIAL JUSTICE "ISSUES" WHICH MIGHT PROMPT THEM TO OPPOSE THE VISITORS AT AP*EC -
FOR GOD'S SAKE,
DO YOURSELF A FAVOUR AND STAY AT HOME.

I HAVE SEEN POLICE BRUTALITY AT FIRST HAND,
(I WITNESSED A RIOT IN MILAN IN 1968 WHEN ITALIAN
POLICE AND ARMY KILLED A PROTESTER,
AND TEAR-GASSED HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE.
IT WAS NOT PRETTY, NOR WAS IT "FUN".
I HAVE ALSO WITNESSED "RIOT CONTROL"
GET OUT OF HAND AT PARLIAMENT HOUSE, CANBERRA)

AND I CAN SMELL A DISASTER LOOMING.
PLEASE DO NOT GIVE THESE BA*STARDS THE
SLIGHTEST EXCUSE TO THUMP ANYONE.

STAY AT HOME, AND LAUGH YOUR HEAD OFF
AT THIS "GOVERNMENT OF SHAME".

"Suffer the little children to come unto me".

THEN
"And they brought young children to Him, that He should touch them: and His disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, He was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God"
(Mark 10:13-14).

AND NOW:
"The head of the Police APEC Command, Superintendent Peter Lennon, confirmed that members of the Sydney Children's Choir as young as eight had to undergo security checks. The choir will perform at the Opera House during the summit. He said everyone had to go through the same accreditation process."

Fairfax Digital: "Show ID to get past Great Wall of Sydney"
Edmund Tadros August 17, 2007

WHAT HAVE WE ALLOWED TO BE DONE TO OUR SOCIETY?

Fortress Sydney

The Sydney Morning Herald has put together a series of reports which will chill you to the bone.

I have been saying for a while that Phillip Rudd*ock was looking to pull John How*ard's electoral Rabbit out of the A*P*E*C hat. He is bringing the Wa*r o*n Te*rror to Australia, just in time for the election. It is all coming together - right now.

And the N*S*W Pol*ice Fo*rce is complicit in this deal, too. They are spoiling for a fight.

These are not my reports - these are links to published stories in the SMH.

Military exercises start from tomorrow

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/military-exercises/2007/08/13/1186857393408.html?sssdmh=dm16.273579

Road closures

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/apec-road-disruptions-hit-sydney/2007/08/13/1186857389231.html?sssdmh=dm16.273579

Bomb Dogs

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/90000-canine-weapons/2007/08/13/1186857399636.html?sssdmh=dm16.273579

And then, there is a composite SMH web page for you to peruse - called "Fortress Sydney".

http://www.smh.com.au/specials/apec/index.html

Keep this link for future reference.

Take special note of this story - how normal services are being specially modified for "security" purposes. Buses have been converted to mobile prisons.

Be alert and BE VERY ALARMED.

Having seen Po*lice actions in Canberra in the past (with my own eyes), I know how the Mili*tary Mind-set can be transferred to the poorly disciplined Fed*eral Pol*ice. How much more easily will the far less disciplined N*S*W Po*lice Fo*rce be induced to crack a few heads of pro*te*sters?

I fear a blood-bath, followed by a media feeding frenzy, followed by a triumphant re-election. The classic right-wing agenda.

Don't forget that there will be a heavy presence of ar*med US se*curity per*sonnel, (they always are ar*med - even in the Australian Parliament House, remember?) *** whispering into their cufflinks. If you think that those people are not prepared to "help out" Little Johnnie, you are deluding yourself. Is this Dem*ocracy?

*** Read this link:

The Age 21 0ctober 2003 - Louise Dodson's report from Parliament House, covering Geo*rge Dub*ya's previous visit.
"But armed U*S se*curity ag*ents have been in Parliament for some time. The advance team of U*S secu*rity experts has met senior Government and Parliament officials and has broadly dictated the sec*urity arrangements."

Sydney to be "locked down", or maybe "Shut down".

Crikey has kindly done a review of the preparations for the AP*EC conference.

• Jets will patrol a restricted area within a 45-nautical-mile radius of Kingsford Smith Airport and all other flights set to travel through the area will be required to pre-register and obtain approval.
• People on elective surgery lists in hospitals including Prince of Wales and Royal Price Alfred have had their appointments postponed to free up resources.
• Concrete fences have been used to fence restricted areas of the Sydney Opera House, Exhibition and Convention Centre and the Government House.
• The Australian Defence Force announced that around 1500 personnel, Black Hawk helicopters, F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets, a special task group and Navy ships will be released for the event.
• A video featuring the Maritime Union of Australia protesting against Work Choices as part of a montage of ‘violent’ protesters has been shown as part of police training for the summit.
• Circular Quay, Museum and St James train stations will be closed for three days and moved to Elizabeth Street.
• For those planning to visit the city, delays and random police searches are said to be expected.
• NSW Premier Morris Iemma announced that temporary legislation would be put into force to increase police powers over the duration of the summit.
• Rumours of a 2.8m high concrete "ring of steel" to be built around the CBD have been circulating, alarming business owners.
• A $600 000 water cannon has been purchased by the police to be used against violent protesters.
• The NSW Police Minister has announced that taser guns, not capsicum spray, will be carried by riot police for crowd control.

My favourite is the issuing of Taser Guns. Goodie. That's just what the country needs - power crazed Coppers running around with Stun Guns, which are demonstrated to be unsafe, possibly lethal, and anyway, not suitable for "crowd control". They might be good for controlling a dangerous individual, but not a bunch of "rent-a-crowd" crazies, looking to get themselves "famous".

For the record, I would recommend that anyone looking to get famous at this forthcoming "event" ought think again - for judging by the political, and security preparations, it is sure to get out of hand, and be a total (and dangerous) mess.

Besides, let us hope that the "crazies" do not hand John Howard (or whoever might be leading the Liberals by then) a guaranteed "Law and Order" issue on which to sweep back into office.

Australia needs discipline, in the lead up to the next election - not a huge "stunt" powered with Taser Guns and Liberal Party testosterone, and US Republican Party "War on Terror" security advisers, standing in the shadows speaking into their cuff links.